Friday 21 October was National Apple Day in the UK. Just click HERE to read all about it & HERE too – where it says it only began in 1990.

Here’s my favourite apple poster with 90 varieties of British apples. The oldest seems to be a variety, the Wyken Pippin, dating from 1700-1720, just when walled gardens were coming into fashion. The Autumn Pearmain is even earlier, introduced in 1580. The

Plum opal apples in Apley Walled Garden

most recent is the Sheep’s Nose of 1951. The majority were introduced in the 1800s, when walled gardens were in their heyday. Gavin sent 9 varieties to the farm shop on Friday, handpicked & grown on the Apley Estate. They included well known varieties such as Discovery, Red Prince, Cox (all eater) & Bramley (cooker) apples – as well as some we’ve yet to identify as some of the tree tags have become detached.